the lifestyle systems have been having this issue for some years now. If what you mean is the tray won't open, well I hope you bought the extended warranty from where ever you bought it. Exchange it for something else. the 321 system my parents have does this all the time.

AJ Mitchell

Unregistered guest

Posted on Saturday, November 12, 2005 - 19:55 GMT

Guys, I have a Bose Lifestyle 20. If you unplug the unit and flip it over look for the words Manual Magazine Release(viewing the bottom with cd opening facing you look top right). I used a slim jewelers screwdriver and got it! However CD still stuck so I tried to see if it would play(with magazine partly out). Reads E (error?), reinsert magazine press eject(the book says it will stop the cd and put it back in magazine(did this twice) Voila!!Success. Hope you have the same abilty on the 25.

DL Fout

Unregistered guest

Posted on Friday, November 25, 2005 - 16:01 GMT

My 6 pack is also locked inside my Lifestyle 25. I resolve not to ever use the CD player ever again but would sure like to retrieve my cd's. All Bose could do was offer the $200 repair or an upgrade but be assured that when I change units, it won't be a Bose.

I just got my lifestyle 38 system and have only used the disc unit about 5 times. now it is stuck. my video is in it and i do not know how to get it open. a little expensive to jam up so early. any suggestions on how to get it open?

Hey AJ... you rock. My lifestyle 25 had my cd's stuck and making a noise. I did exactly as you said and it didn't work. But because you encourage me to try I pryed open the silver top that's held by some plastic retainers found in auto bodies. One broke but that didn't matter 'cause I was intent on seeing why it was stuck. I was able to extract my cassette box and my cd's. I found the problem. The cassette player is broke. Must be replaced. But who where to get the parts. I just said "forget the cd player" and I'll continue to use it for amping my TV and DVD player...also the radio works too. Any never never buys BOSE again. What a ripoff. As you said it was $200 for repair and $1200 for exchange. So thanks again.

Anonymous

Posted on Friday, December 30, 2005 - 02:16 GMT

Problem: CD changer case will not eject and motor is constantly running. Resolution: I took the entire case off of my Lifestyle 20 system as the CD Changer Manual Release would not work. Remove all silver covers by carefully prying (glued on). Remove the there phillips head screws in-line from left to right. Use a slot screw driver to pop the tabs under the end silver covers. You now have access to the motor that drives the CD changer. The problem was the plastic gear on the motor had slipped where it was no longer engaging. I pushed the gear back in place. The CD went back in the case and everything functions properly. Of course, the gear could slip again in the future as I did nothing more than push it back in place. Poor design especially considering Bose is supposed to be top of the line. Word of caution - when removing the case four springs used for vibration reduction will fall out. They are not difficult to reinstall - just be aware they are present.

Problem: Bose Lifestyle system CD changer case/ magazine will not eject and motor is constantly running.

I can fix the the CD Changer magazine jammed problem because I was able to fix mine. If you are in the North east part of the country email me. I can come to fix it at your own risk. I know how to fix it as long as your CD motor is active (meaning motor still able to run). else not worth fixing since I cant repair the Motor itself.

Turn the unit on. Pick it up from the right side and rest it on its left side in a vertical position. Gently tap the right side of the media console while hitting the eject button at the same time. I had to tap it hard before it would eject the cd cartridge, but it did come out with all CD's intact. I will try to pry it open and check the gear on the motor. I have had this Lifestyle 25 system for 8 years problem free before the CD cartridge got stuck, and Bose technical help told me how to get it unstuck. But they now want me to trade my system in for a new one. I'm not ready for that yet, I'll check the gear on the motor that Anonymous mentioned.

I was able to pry open the top panel that is held in with four plastic "Christmas-Tree" type retainers used to hold car interior panels to the doors. I inserted a small flat blade and little by little I got each side up and off. There was a piece of double sided sticky tape near the front just behind the display panel also holding down the top cover. I removed the four screws holding down the CD mechanism and lifted it out, which was resting on four springs. I found a little delrin gear that had slid to the end of the motor shaft, not meshing with it's mate gear. I slid the gear back down the shaft to mesh with the other gear, but noticed the gear slid very easily. Closer look found the gear had a tiny slpit from one end to the other along the shaft. Since no parts are available, I used some epoxy to not only glue the gear to the shaft, but also put epoxy around the hub of the gear to help hold it together. Delrin is a very sturdy material and I expect this to last for quite a while. I cleaned the rubber rollers and blew out all of the dust. I found the manual magazine release hole just under and to the left of the eject button. I drilled a small hole in the front of the unit housing to allow a paper clip to access the release with the unit assembled. All works great and once again enjoying my Bose Lifestyle 25 system. If the gear comes completely apart, I feel there are ways to find a replacement gear. There is a service manual available for the system for $10, but Bose may be reluctant to sell it due to liability issues. Talk nice and you may be surprised how much help the Bose Tech Support can be.

Nice fixes for an overpriced POS. 'Stand on your head, with the unit on your feet, rotate into a break-dance position and drop the unit into someones waiting hands to give it the required uumph. Nice, real handy.

All from a glued together unit that delivers like a 1982 Candle stereo-cassette.

I had the same problem with the CD. I couldn't get the CD motor to stop. Try disconnecting the connector that is labeled CD that is to the right of the CD player. There are about 8 or so wires connected to this. I unplugged it and the power to the CD stopped. All the other functions worked just fine. I did not realize that BOSE had such a problem with the CD/DVDs ejecting from the units. I will keep this in mind when I upgrade.

If you have a tray stuck and it won't open on your Bose 321 or Lifestyle 18/28/35/38/48 then try this:

On the 321 systems turn off the power and unplug the power cord from the bass module. Wait 5 minutes and plug it back in. Then, simply hit the "stop/eject" button on the media center itself (do not turn it on first)..this should release the tray unless there is a mechanical failure inside the tray mechanism itself.

On a Lifestyle system with a tray that won't open, try this: Turn off the power to the system and unplug the power cord to the back of the media center itself. Wait 5 minutes and plug it back in. Then, simply hit the "open/close" button on the media center itself (do not turn it on first)..this should release the tray unless there is a mechanical failure inside the tray mechanism itself.

If this does not work, then call Bose when you are home with the system at 800-367-4008.

Hi, I have a Bose Lifestyle 20 and the CD cartridge is stuck with the motor continuously running. I realize there is a CD Changer Manual Release on the underside but can someone describe how to use it. There are two openings but it is not obvious how to release the cartridge. I have tried poking around with a small screwdriver but am afraid I will cause more damage. Can someone describe which of the two openings to access (thin rectangular or wider square) and is there a latch/lever/etc that needs to be depressed to release the cartridge?

Thanks to the great people in this forum for posting tips re bose CD changers. I saved the repair $$ and I am happy. I have a Lifestyle model 20 with most of the symptoms that have been described in previous postings

My problems were: 1) the CD magazine will not eject, 2) sometimes the player will turn forever and I could only stop it unplugging the power, 3) sometimes it would just spin and stop and give all the useless messages that are listed in the troubleshooting manual, 4) it will never play, it would just 2) or 3) above randomly and never eject.

I thought that problem was with a CD stuck or my kids putting 2 CDs in one slot or some other clever things that young kids will do. But it was not that.

Per a posting above I found out about the Manual Magazine Release. It is on the underside on the top right corner and it is the narrow rectangular slot, it is labeled. You need a long and skiny piece of metal. There is a flat lever on the bottom and you really do not need to push it hard, just slightly away from you if you have the thing upside down and you can read the labels correctly. You can see it through the slot. I tried it but it did not work probably because I did not know what to move and in which direction, I realized that after I put it apart.

So following another advice from a previous poster (see above) I put it on the right side vertically with the power on and tap it gently against the table hiting the eject button at the same time and the magazine popped out. Great! I could recover my CDs. After putting apart and screwing with this thing I realized that depending on the how the CD player is turned off, if there is a CD inside in the CD player and not in the magazine it may not be possible to eject the magazine because the CD is in the way, like 1/2 way into the maganize and the other in the playing mechanism. So I guess that you have to screw with the power until by luck you get all the CDs in the magazine. Then use the manual realease or the tapping to get the magazine out.

Now, I put the magazine empty back in and the problems continued. So there was nothing wrong caused by the CDs or other stuff inside. The problem is mechanical.

Charles Harwell and Anonymous above described the problem very well. There is a design flaw with a small gear on the CD changer motor that slides out of the shaft and ceases to engage with another gear. The motor is the one, in my model, to the left of the laser warning label. You can push the little gear back with your finger but after a few spins it will come off again to the end of the shaft disengaging and cause all the problems most have described.

So I got some Gorila glue and glued it for ever. I tried Super Glue, but it did not work. The torque of the little motor must be too much for it. Epoxy glue may work just fine also.

You need to open the player to fix this problem and the only way is by removing the top silver cover. Again following advice from previous postings I used a flat screwdriver and slowly pulled the top out. The double face sticky tape all along the top/front end is a bit of problem to release. Then you have to remove the 3 screws that hold the black top of the player so you can remove the player itself and have access to the motor that is on the underside. On each side of the black cover there are 2 clips that you also have to release with a screw driver. Once you glue the little gear in its working position the player works as it should.

Claudio and others, Thanks a ton for the help. I have the Lifestyle 18 and it doesn't have the Manual Magazine Release - I simply unplugged the main console and the receiver, waited for 5 minutes and plugged the console back. Then, without plugging in the receiver, I pressed the Eject button a couple of times, which seems to have released the tray and after plugging it back in, it worked.

I recently encountered this problem and the information here helped me solve it. My dad and I took some pictures of the process, which I posted on Flickr. I added some notes to the pics, and I hope they are useful.

The only other thing I would add is that gluing the gear fixed the problem of the motor running endlessly and nothing playing, but did not fix the problem of the CD magazine not ejecting. I found that loading more than one CD into the magazine, and pressing the Eject button when the Bose is playing something OTHER THAN CD #1 ejects the magazine. Otherwise it gets stuck.

We've had the L20 for many years, and only recently began to experience this problem. Still, not what I would have expected from a "hi-fi" component. Too bad.

To add to the information previously presented; I've had this problem a couple of times. I followed the advice given above and was able to successfully open the unit. In my case I discovered that I also had enough dust on the rollers that they were not fully grabbing the CD to return it completely into the magazine. When it wasn't able to return it 100% it then reloaded the CD onto the player spindle. It is possible the CD was slightly warped contributing to the problem. I did check the gear, and it had moved a little on the shaft, but not enough to cause problems with that part of the CD operation. I slid it back down the shaft for additional longevity.

Having seen how the disk loads, if it can't be returned into the magazine, no amount of attempts with the manual release will work. When loaded, there is about 40% of the disk still in the magazine, which will prevent it from being able to be removed. The suggestion to set the unit up on its left side will assist in the return of the CD so you can extract the magazine with the manual release.

Finally, the most trouble I had was with the door. I didn't pay attention to see what previous posters has said about the number of screws to be removed. I unscrewed 4 screws, 3 being larger headed screws, and one was a small one. DON'T remove the smaller screw. It isn't needed to get the plastic retaining cover out of the unit. It is part of the assembly for the door operation. Lastly, pay attention to the orientation of the spindle block for the left side of the door, making sure to put the arced ridge oriented down so that it will nest into the support block. When it is removed, you will see what I'm describing.

Thanks for the previous posts. Save your money and do the repair yourself.

Symptoms of my 7-year old Lifestyle 20 similar to those above: CD stuck and makes whirring sound as it tries to eject. After much banging and swearing (old eyes and fumbly thumbs), I opened up the box as described above (THANKS!) by pealing off the top AL cover, then taking out the 3 large + screws, then taking off the plastic cover using - screwdriver in 2 slots along each edge to release the plastic latches. (You have to remove the front cover spring first or it will go flying.) Then lifted out the CD drive --- no screws on it. As many others describe, a small Delron pinion gear on one of the motor shafts was cracked and had slid down that shaft so it didn't engage the opposite larger gear. I pushed it down to engage and then the CD holder was ejected properly and I was able to rescue all my CDs. Unfortunately, the spindle no longer works, so I removed the CD drive entirely.

I really didn't like the "feel" of the Bose CD changer and didn't use it much anyway, but it is quite a fantastic instrument when you take it apart and watch it work. I love the Bose sound (radio) and will continue to use that with an external CD and TV. Incidentally, the display is very, very dim to completely off.

Would I buy another Bose? Hmmm.... probably not 'cuz it's too expensive for my old ears.

Apprehend salesman who brainwashed you and sold you the piece of c*** in question.

Bring to desolate location. Strap and tie to chair. Use duct tape to tape his eyelashes and eyelids in a permanent wide open stare.

Place several large pictures ( which you hopefully aqcuired through the internet, and NOT though personal experience)of a completely nudde Joan Rivers, roughly one foot from his face. Leave and go home.

Wow, I always knew Bose wasn't particularly good quality, and CD changers are always trouble, but these stories of double-sided tape, split gears which can't be replaced for less than silly money etc. are really something.

Quite amusing, from a snooty specialist dealer's point of view. (I'm the type that believes less is more.)

We have the Lifestyle 20 purchased in 2000. In October, the CD player/changer began having the same problems described by others here. CD magazine would not eject. We followed the procedures that Claudio and Alvin and others outlined: removed the silver top, opened the unit and removed the three large screws, found the small gear that had slipped, looked at it under magnification and saw a small crack, glued it with Gorilla glue (making sure that gear still was able to turn),cleaned the roller with a Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol, put everything back (the door was the most difficult part--as Alvin said, pay attention to the orientation). After the glue dried (about two hours), the unit worked perfectly once again. Total time spent: 40 minutes

For those who don't think they can manage this and want another solution besides sending back the unit to BOSE for repair, the http://www.norbern.com website advertised low flat rate repairs and quick turn around time for this problem. As they are not open on weekends, I did not call them to find out pricing.

This 1998 Bose Lifestyle 20 was already installed in a 1999 motorhome I recently bought -- the CD changer jammed today. I'd like to replace it with a non-Bose item, but I don't exactly know what "it" is called :-) Don't want/need to replace all the speakers,or the Bose "BUILT-INvisible Home Theater System Amplifier" that is installed over the passenger-side dash, just need a new unit that plays through the existing 5 Bose speakers, into which I can plug my TV, DVR, and which contains its own AM/FM radio and CD changer like this Bose unit has. Can anyone tell me what such a piece of equipment is named so I can research brands/models that will fit in the tiny entertainment equipment space over the driver-side dash? Or better yet, if someone were able to suggest another brand/model that is comparable in size and function to the Bose unit but that isn't made so poorly I would be most grateful. Thanks!

}Hi! you guys totally rock,thanks to you I am once again listen to my cd's. Removal of the top of the case by slipping a blade under the clips,worked a treat. Once I had access to the internals my model had three screws to hold a retaining moulding which just unclipped after the tilt door was removed from situation (make sure you remember where the spring is attached). Then you just lift the cassette player off the mounting springs and turn it upside down.You can unplug it from the main board if you want to. With the unit base facing you, and the cassette on the right, On the small motor to the bottom right hand side I found that the drive pinion gear had slipped to the end of the shaft and was no longer meshing. I placed a small amount of super glue on the shaft and slipped it back into position.jobs done. I will only play one cd at a time now just to play it safe. Whoever wrote that they are a POS are correct.} regards jonny

Thanks to the forum. Had this problem on LS20 and because of the info here I was able to fix. There is nothing in the manual on this problem. First tried the magazine release (no reference to that in the manual) and that didn't work (but maybe I wasn't doing the pressure points right). Then tried the putting unit on the right side while on and tapping and that didn't work. Last resort: put on the left side as it seemed to look jammed there and after about 30 secs. on its left side (while it was continuing to try to eject...that doesn't stop unless the power is off) the system ejected the cd magazine (I had left the room and came back and surprise!).

Thanks to this forum's help,I obviously saved a bunch of dollars in repair (would have been mad as heck about that) and I certainly can't afford nor even want a new system.

This column is definitely a keeper for us Bose Lifestyle owners. This column is now with my manual.

Ok: My NO-Lifestyle 20 is now junk. I fell for the Bose $200.00 rebuild once but not again seeing that the circuit board smokes and gets very!!! hot near the power supply plug. SO my question is what do I do with speakers besides swell looking paper

bose can fix for $200 plus tax, plus incoming shipping. ..or offer complete system trade in options at discount prices. ..or, you can simply keep your system as is, and simply add an external CD player (or DVD player) to the AUX in...all DVD players also play CD's..so you don't have to use the Bose built in CD player...all other brands and models can be connected to the aux in.

Thanks to all the info here, I was able to both get my CD cassette out, as well as slide the problematic gear back into position and secure with Gorilla Glue to fix the problem.

Of course, when putting the case back together I accidentally clipped the small copper GROUND clip that is located toward the back of the unit, about a third of the way in from the right. It's the clip that attaches to a circuit board, and appears to complete a ground against a small silver circle on the board itself. It also has a rounded top end that appears to contact the metal cover. Without the ground complete, the unit will not power up.

Naturally, I can't seem to find this clip anywhere, and the only local place that works on Bose in my area wants about $50 to fix what amounts to probably a .25 part. Does anyone know where I might be able to find one of these clips???

Update on the previous post - the unit in fact does power back on. The display is not working, which made me think it was not getting power. After detecting a slight whir from the CD, I plugged the speakers in and realized it was in fact working.

So now, any ideas why the display has gone blank??? Could it still be the ground clip that seems bent, or something different?

Have a LifeStyle 25 system unfortunately...Question!? What newer brand or type AM/FM/CD head unit would plug right into the existing speaker wires & acustamass module wires, that we all have? I need some tunes! Thanks everybody.

Have a LifeStyle 25 system unfortunately...Question!? What newer brand or type AM/FM/CD head unit would plug right into the existing speaker wires & acustamass module wires, that we all have?

If your unit has the multi-pin speaker cable to the Acoustimass unit, I don't know of any non-Bose equipment that will interface with that. If the unit is not dead except for the CD/DVD, you can use the AUX in. Also, scroll up to 1/18 and see the link to the subwoofer section. Someone there may be able to dissect that cable and tell you how to use the remainder of your system, but I suspect it is proprietary to Bose.

Bought my system in 2000. The first time this happened was in 2001 within the warranty period but the SoB-technician that fixed it claimed I had caused the problem due to using "low quality discs" and wanted to charge me extra for it.

The pinion wheel had slipped of and had a crack in it. Some glue seems to have fixed it. Just wanted to add my own little comment: the "christmas trees" some people have spoken of are plastic plugs with barbs that go into the main body with glue on the top (against the Al-cover).

oh and as for the door mechanism it's not very hard to put back. I actually managed to shoot away the spring though =) On the right side the door there's a bracket with two prongs that fit into two small holes on the black cover (the one you had to remove). One end of the spring goes over a curved "hook" on the door and the other over a straight plstic thing sticking up on the top side of the black frame.

Thanks to "anonymous" for his post on Dec 29, 2005. I have Bose Lifestyle Sys 25. CD exchanger became stuck in the machine. The motors would attempt to run but without ejection. I used hi s procedure for removing the silver top and three screws to release the black sub-frame above the CD player. After removing and flipping over the player, I found similiar problems. A very small white gear (apparently pressed on) that had worn loose and worked up the small motor shaft. It was spinning freely and not engageing the secondary gear. I removed the gear applied a good loctite glue and re-installed it. Re-assembly of the went well and after setting up over nite all works well. THe CD player had difficultly playing the first CD. CD drive seemed to be stiff, but its now playing just fine after a few hours of operation and the CD Cartridge ejects perfectly. Wish Bose could have been more help!.. This could have been resolved back in 2006 when my problem started. Without any expense.

Keep in mind what Bose makes. Nope, not good stereo, or even just stereo.

They make $MONEY$. The more the merrier, too.

While all companies need to make money to stay in business, pay employees and all that, better companies which are closer to there user base will provide better service, and indeed freebies sometimes, too. That I have read about that slipping gear in CD drives from Bose for a couple years now tells me loads about that company. Build in a 1$ defect and charge a flat 200$ to glue it back on. Sounds good to me.

I'm glad there is some place for the poor Bose owner to get some relief.

Note that I'm not really baggin on the sound, poor though it may be, but the company, which appears to make no effort at reliability or interoperability with other brands.

I have a Lifestyle 25, Series 11 Bose with the cassette stuck. I was going to bite on the $225 repair till I read your posts. I will just go out and buy a CD player. I am stuck with my Bose because I paid an electrician to run the propietary cable from the music center back to the Accoustimass. Wires no longer accessible and the wiring works with no other systems. NO MORE BOSE EVER. Home theater in a box sounds just as good for 1/3 the price but I am stuck.

Thank you for all the advice above. I have now managed to salvage the CDs from my Lifestyle 25 II. The only points I would like to add are: 1) A CD from level Disc 1 was stuck half out of the cassette and in the machine. This required physically pushing the CD back into the cassette from both sides of the mechanism. 2) The model reads Lifestyle 20 on the bottom of the unit but the manual is for the LS 25 II. 3) Bose technical support suggested it may be caused by interference from other nearby applicances. As these have not changed in years they suggested perhaps another appliance was 'breaking down' and interfering with the Bose...

1) Turn your receiver upside down and ensure that the cd magazine is to the right side. 2) There will a slot next to words printed "Manually Remove Magazine". 3) Take a thin rod, insert it into the slot, untill you touch a metal strip and slide it upwards. 4) That should eject the maganize for you.

I have a similar problem with my lifestyle 25. Bose indicates they can no longer fix the problem, but can sell me a upgraded (overpriced) replacement. Anyone know how to fix a very dim display on a Lifestyle 25?

I have the lifestyle 25 system the magazine was stuck in there i called bose they told me to stilt the system to it's right side gently insert a butter knife on it's side, on top, bottom while pressing the ecject until it pops out.

a hammer? I once used. You need to open the player to fix this problem and the only way is by removing the top silver cover. Again following advice from previous postings I used a flat screwdriver and slowly pulled the top out. The double face sticky tape all along the top/front end is a bit of problem to release. Then you have to remove the 3 screws that hold the black top of the player so you can remove the player itself and have access to the motor that is on the underside. On each side of the black cover there are 2 clips that you also have to release with a screw driver. Once you glue the little gear in its working position the player works as it should.

My wife figured this out... Plug system in and turn on. Then use remote to get all cd's back in cartridge. Don't shut it off using the remote as one cd will start to go over, instead as soon as the all are in the cartridge UNPLUG the unit. Then turn unit over not jamming the door and look at the little slot that says manual release. Take a letter opener or something narrow and a flashlight and slide the release backwards. The cartridge will come out. At least you will save your cd's. Don't try to use it again. Just hook up a good cd player to it. Then write the president of Bose and tell him how disappointed you are with the expensive Bose system that a tech on the phone couldn't have figured out for four years. It is truly amazing.

"Poor design especially considering Bose is supposed to be top of the line."

I want to know top of what line? Is this the line that you don't cross? Or, is the line that you're over? My foot doctor buddy insisted his Boss was "top of the line" and laughed at my immediate denial of his statement.

He came to my house and listened to a system I put together for a third of the cost of his Bose "whatever the heck the number is this week system" and crawled home. My $200 used Denon DVD/CDP weighs 2-3 times that of his Bose CD changer and it actually plays DVDs, Cds, DVD-A and SACDs. My speakers blew him away and the powered subwoofer blows away his Bose weiner woofer.

Please do not use Bose and audiophile, "top of the line", "high end" or anything similar in the same sentence. Geez, I feel better now. Oh, sorry about the problems with your Bose systems, guys.

My Life style 20 do not play! it changes from the 1st to the 6th disc and then stay, kipping silent. when i opened the silver cover i see each disc turns on few seconds only then in the display appears "DI:SC" and it comes to the next disc to the end. can You help me to solve this problem!

All of the above suggestions including the pictures have been very helpful with my CD and noise issues for my Lifestyle 30 series 2 system. However, putting everything back and the copper ground clip fell off, but I don't know where to attach it now!

All of the above suggestions including the pictures have been very helpful with my CD and noise issues for my Lifestyle 30 series 2 system. However, putting everything back and the copper ground clip fell off, but I don't know where to attach it now!

I have a (1996) lifestyle 25 (home theater in one room) and Lifestyle 20 (in another room to play music) both connect through a single console. The problem is with the lifestyle 20 accoustimass bass module (5 pin) ~ only one of the output jacks sends sounds to the cubes (2). No stereo. It is not a cable problem with the cube. Bose no longer will repair and wants to sell me an upgade. any help with repairing unit is appreciated, thanks.

Try this With the BOSE REMOTE hold down the 2 speaker button for about 30 seconds or until you hear a change to stereo mode (only 2 playing). Then do it with the 3 speaker mode and last the 5 speaker mode. That will reset the unit to factory defaults. Hope that fixes it.